2 Samuel 15 – Absalom steals the hearts of the people of
Israel (15:6) by being available to them to give judgment on cases that
affect them. After four years of
this, he asks his father if he may go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice there he
promised to make while he was in Geshur.
Hebron was a holy site to Jews in that time, the place where Abraham and
Sarah were buried, the place where David had been anointed king. The plan
Absalom really has is to have the people proclaim him king there.
He
sends messengers to all the tribes summoning them to Hebron—they are innocent
of his intentions. When David
finally learns of the growing conspiracy, he gathers his people together and
leaves the city of Jerusalem to escape his son. He leaves his ten concubines behind to look after the
house. The Gittites, Cherethites
and Pelethites—peoples who served David as protectors—stay with him as do
Abiathar and Zadok. The ark, which
accompanies David as he leaves the city, is sent back with the two priests and their
sons. David believes that if God favors his cause, “he will bring me back and
let me see both it and the place where it stays” (15:25).
David
ascends the Mount of Olives “weeping
as he went, with his head covered and walking barefoot; and all the people who
were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went” (15:30).
He learns that Ahitophel, a trusted
advisor, is among the conspirators. He prays that Ahitophel’s (usual) wisdom
will be turned to foolishness. He
sends another advisor, Hushai, over
to Absalom to be a spy and help to him there. His job will be to defeat the counsel of Ahitophel. He
should report to the priests in Jerusalem—their sons, Ahimaaz and Jonathan will
report it back to David. He goes just as Absalom enters the city of Jerusalem
with his men.
Mark 13:1-23 – Coming out of the
Temple, a disciple points out the huge stones that make it up, but Jesus is not
impressed. Even a great building
like the Temple is fragile in God’s hands. “Not one stone will be left here upon
another; all will be thrown down” (13:2). This
prophecy would seem to relate to the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in
70. This would fit with a Pauline vision of God’s displeasure with the Jewish
rejection of Jesus, but I haven’t read much to indicate that others tie Jesus’
words to this event.
They
have a mysterious conversation about when this will happen and the larger
implications of it happening—is it meant to mark the coming parousia? The end
of the world? The beginning of the end? The beginning of a period of chaos that
will culminate in the end of the world?
Jesus describes the unrest but does not clearly state what he is
addressing. As for the treatment
his disciples will receive, this he outlines fairly graphically beginning in
verse 9. They will be brought
before governors and kings; they will be handed over, tried, and beaten;
brother will betray brother and they will be hated “because of my name” (13:9-13).
But Jesus tells his disciples that they are not to worry. He will send the Holy Spirit to give
them words that will help them spread his message of salvation (13:11). Jesus’
language becomes even more puzzling and his description of coming turmoil even
more disturbing. There will be
false messiahs and prophets who will lead people astray.
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